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The Basic Things You Should Know About Anaemia!

Anaemia is a common blood disorder in which your body does not produce enough red blood cells. Anaemia widely affects children, women, and men at any stage of life. Globally, there are over 1.6 billion people are affected by anaemia. Women and patients with chronic diseases are at a higher risk of developing anaemia.

What is anaemia?

Anaemia is a condition of lack of red blood cells that carries oxygen to all body tissues and low red blood cell count shows a low level of oxygen in your blood than normal levels. It can be mild to severe.  

The severity of anaemia depends on the level of haemoglobin. Haemoglobin is a protein present in red blood cells that transport oxygen from the lungs to the other parts of the body. Haemoglobin formation requires iron, so most of the people who have anaemia have a shortage of iron.

There are various types of anaemia with their cause and treatments. Anaemia can be mild to severe as per the level of haemoglobin, but you can prevent this condition by improving your diet.

What are the causes of anaemia?

Many conditions lead to anaemia, including simple diet deficiency to major underlying causes. Common causes of anaemia are as follows –

What are the types of anaemia?

1. Iron-deficiency anaemia

It is one of the common forms of anaemia that often affects women than men and is more common during pregnancy. In this anaemia, your body does not have enough iron to carry oxygen through your blood to all parts of your body. Symptoms of iron-deficiency anaemia can be-  

2. Aplastic anaemia 

In this anaemia, your body cannot produce enough red blood cells because of damaged bone marrow.

3. Hemolytic anaemia 

This anaemia occurs when your body itself damages your red blood cells.

4. Pernicious anaemia

Because of the deficiency of vitamin B12, pernicious anaemia occurs.    

5. Normocytic anaemia

This anaemia occurs when there are fewer numbers of red blood cells.

6. Sickle-cell anaemia

This is a genetic disorder that affects your red blood cells.

What are the symptoms of anaemia?

If you have mild anaemia, you may not have many symptoms. The sign and symptoms depend on the cause and level of haemoglobin in the body. Signs and symptoms of anaemia might include:

Also Read: Blackstrap Molasses: Uncovering Its Health Benefits and Uses

What will be the treatments for anaemia?

Anaemia treatment depends on its underlying cause. There are many treatment options based on the type and severity of anaemia.

Also Read: How to Increase Iron Levels Quickly: Effective Strategies Backed by Research

What should be your diet if you are anaemic?  

If you are experiencing any symptoms of anaemia, a physician should be your first visit, but there are things which you can do on your own, mainly improvement in your diet. The best diet plan for anaemia includes food rich in iron and other vitamins. Here we enlisted some essential foods which can help you deal with anaemia –

1. Green leafy vegetables

Green, dark vegetables are the best source of iron. They may include –

Some of them, Swiss chard or collard greens, are also rich in folate and can be useful in folate deficiency anaemia. You can have vitamin C-rich foods such as oranges while eating these green vegetables as vitamin C may increase the absorption of iron.

2. Nuts and seeds

Many nuts and seeds are nutritiously dense foods that contain a tremendous amount of iron. You can eat them raw or roasted as they have the same amount of iron. You can eat them as a snack or sprinkle them on a salad. Nuts and seeds may include –

3. Lean meat and poultry foods 

Lean meat and chicken breast contain a high amount of iron, almost 22% of your recommended dose. To enhance iron absorption, pair it with vitamin C-rich vegetables such as spinach, tomatoes, and red peppers.

4. Seafood 

Seafood such as oysters is one of the best ways to supplement your diet if you are anaemic. Most of the fish contain iron, especially shellfishes such as oysters, clams, and crabs. Other types of fishes –

5. Beans 

Beans are the most inexpensive and best source of iron for vegetarians. Some iron-rich beans are as follows –

Anaemia can be a mild to severe form of blood disorder but can be preventable. You can avoid developing anaemia by consuming nutritious food. But remember, single food will not cure anaemia; it may require an overall healthy diet like green leafy vegetables, seeds, nuts, seafood, meat, and vitamin C-rich foods.

Read more about: Top 10 Food Sources Rich in Vitamin K

Disclaimer: The information provided here is for educational/awareness purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a healthcare professional and should not be relied upon to diagnose or treat any medical condition. The reader should consult a registered medical practitioner to determine the appropriateness of the information and before consuming any medication. PharmEasy does not provide any guarantee or warranty (express or implied) regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of the information; and disclaims any liability arising thereof.

Links and product recommendations in the information provided here are advertisements of third-party products available on the website. PharmEasy does not make any representation on the accuracy or suitability of such products/services. Advertisements do not influence the editorial decisions or content. The information in this blog is subject to change without notice. The authors and administrators reserve the right to modify, add, or remove content without notification. It is your responsibility to review this disclaimer regularly for any changes.

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All You Must Know About Sickle-cell Anaemia.

Sickle-cell anaemia is a disease passed down through families in which red blood cells form an abnormal crescent shape. (Red blood cells are typically shaped like a disc.) The distorted red blood cells are shaped like crescents or sickles. These sickle or crescent-shaped blood cells are fragile and are unable to deliver adequate oxygen to the body’s tissues. They clog easily in the smaller blood vessels, and even break easily. They can experience a disruption in the healthy flow of blood.

This condition is inherited from both parents. Sickle-cell disease is much more common in people belonging to the Mediterranean and African heritage. It is also seen in people from South and Central America, the Caribbean, and the Middle East.

It occurs when an individual inherits the Hemoglobin (S) gene from a parent and the haemoglobin (A) gene, which is normal, from another parent. Such an individual has the sickle-cell trait. However, those who the sickle-cell trait do not experience the symptoms of sickle-cell anaemia.

Patients with sickle cell disease are especially vulnerable to potential harms from unnecessary red blood cell transfusion, increased risk of alloimmunization to minor blood group antigens and a high risk of iron overload from repeated transfusions is a possibility in such patients.

Dr. Ashish Bajaj – M.B.B.S, M.D.

Common Symptoms

The symptoms of sickle-cell Anaemia show up in childhood only, especially between the ages of 5 and 15. Pain is a significant indicator of this disease. Most people begin having pain in their abdomen, hips, knees, and elbows. A severe pain crisis may require hospitalization until the pain is under control. Some of the other common symptoms include:

If you have sickle cell disease (SCD), you may need one or more blood transfusions (healthy blood from a donor put into your body) during your lifetime. During a blood transfusion, your blood and the donated blood must have matching antigens or special proteins on the surface of each red blood cell.

Dr. Ashish Bajaj – M.B.B.S, M.D.

Tests to detect Sickle-cell Anaemia

Complete blood count (CBC) – this test screens for anaemia, a condition that occurs when not enough oxygen is delivered to the cells of the body due to the presence of abnormal haemoglobin. To cure this, HPLC or high-performance liquid chromatography, Hemoglobin electrophoresis, and even DNA testing are used to know what type of Hemoglobin is present in one’s blood.

Sickle cell anemia is a type of genetic anemia in which the RBCs shape will be like a sickle instead of normal biconcave shape. India has sickle cell disease in mainly tribal population. Early identification and treatment activity has been enhanced by recently launched National sickle cell anemia elimination program.

Dr. M.G. Kartheeka, MBBS, MD

Treatment

Patients with the disease need ongoing treatment, even when they are not having a painful crisis. They should take supplements of folic acid (essential for producing red blood cells) because red blood cells are turned over so quickly. The purpose of treatment is to manage and control symptoms and to limit the frequency of crises.

During a sickle cell crisis, you may need specific treatments. Pain is then treated with painkillers and intake of fluids. Pain should not be ignored. Patients will need medication in large doses. Hydroxyurea (Hydrea) is a drug some patients use to reduce the number of pain episodes (including chest pain and difficulty breathing). However, it does not work for everyone.

In such a situation, vaccines and antibiotics are given to the patients to avoid bacterial infections. Such problems are common in children who suffer from sickle-cell Anaemia. Blood transfusions are also recommended and may be done on a regular basis to help avoid strokes.

Today the life expectancy of patients with this disease is 50 years or more compared to a mere 14 years before.

Also Read: What Causes High Red Blood Cell Count: Insights Into Hematological Disorders

Disclaimer: The information provided here is for educational/awareness purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical treatment by a healthcare professional and should not be relied upon to diagnose or treat any medical condition. The reader should consult a registered medical practitioner to determine the appropriateness of the information and before consuming any medication. PharmEasy does not provide any guarantee or warranty (express or implied) regarding the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, legality, reliability or usefulness of the information; and disclaims any liability arising thereof.

Links and product recommendations in the information provided here are advertisements of third-party products available on the website. PharmEasy does not make any representation on the accuracy or suitability of such products/services. Advertisements do not influence the editorial decisions or content. The information in this blog is subject to change without notice. The authors and administrators reserve the right to modify, add, or remove content without notification. It is your responsibility to review this disclaimer regularly for any changes.

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